‘We have him’: Trump says suspect ‘in custody’ for Charlie Kirk assassination
By Zoe Hussain
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President Trump announced early Friday that a suspect has been arrested for Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
“I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him,” Trump told “Fox & Friends” during a live interview at the cable giant’s Manhattan studio, saying he heard just minutes before his 8 a.m. interview.
‘Somebody who was very close to him turned him in,” the president said, saying it was relayed through “a minister who was involved with law enforcement.”
“I hope he’s going to be found guilty and I hope he gets the death penalty.”
The suspect was allegedly believed to have fired a single shot from an elevated position about 200 yards from the tent where Kirk, 31, was seated at the university’s Losee Center, authorities and sources previously told The Post.
Surveillance footage of the person of interest wanted for the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk in Utah.
AFP via Getty Images
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Initial reports described the suspect as a gunman wearing jeans, a black shirt and a black vest perched with a long rifle atop a building east of the school’s library.
Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA and dad of two, had just answered a question from an audience member about mass shootings committed by transgender people at the outdoor event on the campus in Orem when he was hit by a single blast of gunfire.
Follow The Post’s live coverage of the Charlie Kirk shooting for the latest news and updates
The conservative influencer jerked back and appeared to recoil in pain and grab at his neck as the crack of a single gunshot rang out from the crowd, sending thousands of spectators into a panic, dramatic video from the scene showed.
Charlie Kirk shot at a rally.
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The moment Kirk was fatally shot in the neck during his American Comeback Tour event at Utah Valley University.
U.S. right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk appears at a Utah Valley University speaking event in Orem, Utah, U.S. September 10, 2025. Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune via REUTERS.
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Kirk seen moments before he was gunned down Wednesday.
via REUTERS
Officers from at least four law enforcement agencies were involved in the manhunt, including the FBI, the Orem Police, the Utah Department of Public Safety and the Utah Valley University Police.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced hours after the cold-blooded murder that a person of interest was in custody, then later said he had been released after questioning. That person was not the same one as being eyed now.
The FBI had also released a tipline on Wednesday evening, urging attendees to come forward with more information and footage of the event and on Thursday offered up to a $100,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s identification and capture.
A map of the shooter’s location during Kirk’s event.
Falon / NY Post Design
A bolt action rifle recoved near the scene where Charlie Kirk was fatally shot is seen in a photo obtained by the Post Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025.
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The bolt action rifle recovered near the scene of where Kirk was shot.
Obtained by the NY Post
Law enforcement officers at Utah Valley University.
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Law enforcement officials preparing to sweep a building at UVU on Sept. 10, 2025.
AP
Law enforcement officers investigating a crime scene.
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FBI agents searching a wooded area near the scene of the shooting on Sept. 11, 2025.
AFP via Getty Images
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” President Trump wrote in a mournful post on Truth Social after news of Kirk’s death spread.
He later said he was “filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk” in a video posted on the platform.
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“Charlie inspired millions. And tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror,” the president said, adding that Kirk is now a “martyr for truth and freedom.”
“This is a dark moment for America,” Trump added.
People running and crouching after a shooting at a Charlie Kirk speaking event.
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The crowd at Kirk’s event reacting to the gunfire.
via REUTERS
People running after a shot was fired at a speaking event.
Security personnel carrying an injured Charlie Kirk.
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Kirk getting carried away from the scene of the shooting by security.
ZUMAPRESS.com
After he was shot, Kirk was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery, a nurse told longtime friend and former employee Laci Williams, who relayed that information to The Post and later confirmed reports he had died.
The popular activist was best known for his open mic “Prove Me Wrong” debates on college campuses where community members could challenge his views.
He was in the middle of one of those debates as part of his “American Comeback Tour” when he was gunned down.
Kirk throwing hats and waving to people attending his American Comeback Tour.
via REUTERS
A "Make America Great Again" hat rests on a table behind police tape at a cordoned-off event for "The American Comeback Tour."
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MAGA hats left behind at the tent where Kirk was shot.
REUTERS
Girl placing American flags at a memorial for Charlie Kirk.
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A memorial for Kirk at Utah Valley University on Sept. 11, 2025.
REUTERS
Kirk leaves behind his wife, former Miss Arizona Erika Frantzve, and two young children.
“This is a dark day for our state, it’s a tragic day for our nation,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. “I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination.
“I just want to remind people that we still have the death penalty in the state of Utah.
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